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Title: Low-Temperature Single Carbon Nanotube Spectroscopy of sp3 Quantum Defects

Journal Article · · ACS Nano
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1]; ORCiD logo [4];  [5];  [5]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies; North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). National Center for Photovoltaics. Chemical and Materials Science Center
  4. North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  5. Stevens Inst. of Technology, Hoboken, NJ (United States). Dept. of Physics
  6. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies

Aiming to unravel the relationship between chemical configuration and electronic structure of sp3 defects of aryl-functionalized (6,5) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), we perform low-temperature single nanotube photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy studies and correlate our observations with quantum chemistry simulations. Here, we observe sharp emission peaks from individual defect sites that are spread over an extremely broad, 1000-1350 nm, spectral range. Our simulations allow us to attribute this spectral diversity to the occurrence of six chemically and energetically distinct defect states resulting from topological variation in the chemical binding configuration of the monovalent aryl groups. Both PL emission efficiency and spectral line width of the defect states are strongly influenced by the local dielectric environment. Wrapping the SWCNT with a polyfluorene polymer provides the best isolation from the environment and yields the brightest emission with near-resolution limited spectral line width of 270 ueV, as well as spectrally resolved emission wings associated with localized acoustic phonons. Pump-dependent studies further revealed that the defect states are capable of emitting single, sharp, isolated PL peaks over 3 orders of magnitude increase in pump power, a key characteristic of two-level systems and an important prerequisite for single-photon emission with high purity. Our findings point to the tremendous potential of sp3 defects in development of room temperature quantum light sources capable of operating at telecommunication wavelengths as the emission of the defect states can readily be extended to this range via use of larger diameter SWCNTs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396; AC36-08GO28308; AC02-05CH11231; DMR-1506711; ECCS-MRI-1531237; CHE-1413614
OSTI ID:
1477667
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1400371
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-25425; NREL/JA-5900-70314
Journal Information:
ACS Nano, Vol. 11, Issue 11; ISSN 1936-0851
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 59 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Single-defect spectroscopy in the shortwave infrared journal June 2019
Suppression of exciton dephasing in sidewall-functionalized carbon nanotubes embedded into metallo-dielectric antennas journal January 2018
Influence of local strain caused by cycloaddition on the band gap control of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes journal January 2019
New Light on Molecule–Nanotube Hybrids journal September 2019
Creating fluorescent quantum defects in carbon nanotubes using hypochlorite and light journal June 2019
Molecular dynamics of reactions between (4,0) zigzag carbon nanotube and hydrogen peroxide under extreme conditions journal January 2018
Solvatochromism of near infrared photoluminescence from doped sites of locally functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes journal January 2019
Thermodynamic control of quantum defects on single-walled carbon nanotubes journal January 2019
Narrow-band single-photon emission through selective aryl functionalization of zigzag carbon nanotubes journal September 2018
Controlling the optical properties of carbon nanotubes with organic colour-centre quantum defects journal June 2019
Control of near infrared photoluminescence properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes by functionalization with dendrons journal January 2018
Intrinsic limits of defect-state photoluminescence dynamics in functionalized carbon nanotubes journal January 2019
Photochemical Creation of Fluorescent Quantum Defects in Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Hosts journal December 2017
Photon Correlation Spectroscopy of Luminescent Quantum Defects in Carbon Nanotubes journal September 2019
Brightening of Long, Polymer-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes by sp$^{3}$ Functionalization in Organic Solvents text January 2019